


Home for Christmas

by beatrixfranklin



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Presents, Cute, Dogs, F/F, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatrixfranklin/pseuds/beatrixfranklin
Summary: Christmas Eve at Nonnatus seems ordinary, until the bell rings.
Relationships: Bernadette | Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner, Delia Busby/Patsy Mount, Fred Buckle/Violet Buckle
Comments: 5
Kudos: 54





	Home for Christmas

Christmas at Nonnatus House was always an important affair. For the nuns, it was a time of reflection and gratitude, one of prayer and understanding. For the nurses and midwives, it was a time for them to be together, to think of all the year had brought and the next would bring and to simply enjoy each other for a day.

It was Christmas Eve, an important day for every calendar and the nurses and nuns were winding down for the evening, knitting, reading and eating as much chocolate as they could bear. It was then that the doorbell rang, loud and clear, only just drowning out the tv which Sister Monica Joan insisted had to be at a reasonable volume.

"I'll get it. I wanted to put the kettle on anyway." Trixie said, standing up and stretching away the sleepines that had crept in. The rest of the cohort returned to what they were doing, that was until they heard Trixie squeal from the main hall.

Hearing this, the rest of the nuns and midwives headed for the door, not knowing what had made Trixie react like that. As they approached the door, they saw Trixie in the arms of a familiar redhead. Despite her tall frame, the blonde midwife was almost off the ground in the hug. 

That was when the door reopened, revealing a small brunette with a spritely but small black lab on a leash. Trixie unwrapped her arms from Patsy, giving Delia a long awaited hug and ruffling Garbo's floppy black ears. He sat between his two owners, slightly behind them, clearly uncertain of his surroundings.

"This really is the most wonderful surprise!" Sister Julienne said, her eyes twinkling.

"We thought we'd come down and surprise you for Christmas." Delia said, with a sweet smile.

"You must be Valerie." Patsy turned to the brunette stood in uniform with her colleagues. The other woman nodded.

"That would be me." She replied with a warm smile. Patsy looked between Delia and Trixie, a slight smirk on her face.

"Thought so." Patsy returned. Trixie bit her lip to stop her from laughing, despite the fact Val had clearly seen the interaction. The taller brunette rolled her eyes slightly.

"And I guess that means you're Lucille?" Delia asked softly. Lucille's nervous expression broke and she nodded slightly.

"I am, yes. I've heard lots about you and Patsy." The younger girl said, fiddling with the sleeve of her cardigan that overlapped her hand slightly. Patsy glared at Trixie, an eyebrow raised as she saw the utter mischief on the blondes face. She was growing red with resisting her laughter, but luckily Phyllis spoke, saving her.

"It's wonderful to see you girls. You both look so well." The older woman almost had tears in her eyes as she looked at the two women in front of her. She recalled the night Patsy left, the night she gave Delia the book of poems. The nights she heard Patsy crying softly, when she thought she was alone, after Delia's accident. That was behind them now, they were happy and healthy with a gorgeous black lab in tow. Phyllis swallowed threatening tears quickly.

"Shall we head to the kitchen?" Sister Julienne offered, extending an arm into the house as an invite. Murmurs came from the group as Val piped up,

"Yeah, Trixie can make us that cuppa she was about to make." Playfully, the blonde hit her friends arm, cueing laughter from the group.

"It appears that our cake supplies are severely diminished. I have no idea the circumstances of which." Sister Monica Joan said, in true fashion.

"It's like we never left." Patsy sighed, taking Delia's free hand in her own as they followed the group into the kitchen. 

><><><><><><><

"I remember the first time I sat at this table with you all. I caused quite an offense with a spot of dry humour."

Patsy said, the memory of which triggering a smirk. She decided not to repeat it, considering the nuns around the table.

"Sister Winifred was less than pleased." Trixie added, laughing slightly.

"Where is she, anyway?" Delia asked, sipping from her teacup.

"She decided to stay at the Mother House a few Christmases ago. I hear she's well." Sister Julienne informed them. The couple nodded.

By now, Garbo had deduced that while there was no threat, there were plenty of biscuit crumbs laying discarded, soon to be more, and had set about as a four legged vacuum. It was then that Valerie, sat at the end of the table that Garbo had made his rest spot, erupted with a huge sneeze.

"Right, is this a bad time to say that there's a high chance I'm allergic to dogs?" Lucille held out her handkerchief, which Valerie gratefully accepted as another sneeze was on its way.

"Oh, dear. We should maybe have left him with Doreen next door." Delia said guiltily, looking sadly at Val.

"Oh, no, chick. Don't worry about it. I'll live, won't I, pal?" She looked down at the pup, who was drifting off in the warmth. Val held a hand down to him, which he licked gently before lying back down between her and Lucille.

"So, anyway, forgetting Val's weak immune system, what have you guys been up to?!" Trixie turned to the pair now, listening intently like a child having a story read to them.

"Travelling, mostly. We headed off to Paris after Botswana, after all it was the first place we went as a couple and-" Patsy stopped dead in her sentence, a definite "Oh, shit" look on her face. 

"Continue the tale, child. Paris is a magical city indeed, although I've heard the French folk are less than pleasant." Sister Monica Joan said, stuffing half a digestive in her mouth. 

Patsy cleared her throat, the midwives looking towards Sister Julienne, who was sat with a look of pride on her face, smiling gently at the two nurses. She'd known all along, of course she had. But now they'd confirmed it, which made her heart swell. 

"Anyway, we were at the Eiffel Tower, as you do, and Pats gave me a ring." Delia began, holding a rather expensive looking ring, looped onto a golden chain, between her fingers, beaming with pride.

"Obviously it doesn't mean what it does for everyone else, but I wanted to give her it anyway." Patsy added, a little sadly but trying not to show it. Trixie nodded sadly, putting a hand on Patsy's shoulder. 

"That's a lovely ring. You're very lucky to have each other." Lucille spoke for the first time, smiling at the pair, eyes shifting only slightly to Valerie. Who, at this point, was sniffling like there was no tomorrow, eyes red rimmed and watery from dog related causes.

"Garbo, come over here. Leave poor Valerie alone." Delia said, looking underneath the table at the puppy curled up at Val's feet. He raised his head at Delia's voice, before putting it back down, shutting his eyes. 

"And we're all lucky, very lucky to have you both back." Sister Julienne stated, rising from the table with Sister Monica Joan, to attend Compline for the evening.

><><><><><><

Trixie softly blew a plume of smoke away before she spoke. The spare room had been entrusted to Patsy and Delia for their stay and, with Trixie and Val's help, two beds had become one big one. Obviously. The three girls sat on them now, smoking and drinking (Trixie with a generous helping of lemonade instead) and laughing. 

Garbo lay on the bed beside Trixie, curled into his blanket, his clumsy head laid in her lap. With the hand that wasn't holding her cigarette, she gently ran her hand along his back and along his head, causing him to drift in and out of sleep.

"I've missed this." The blonde said, softly, looking at nothing in particular.

"So have I. I've missed us." Patsy added, wrapping an arm around Delia, holding her close. She was always the first to fall asleep and Patsy adored it when she got sleepy. 

"It seems like an age, but it isn't, really, is it?" Trixie continued, gently stroking one of Garbo's velvet ears. 

"Not in the grand scheme of things, no." She paused.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to be all melancholy. Spill the beans, woman. What's Valerie's deal?" Patsy asked, shifting slightly to ash her cigarette, earning a groan from sleepy Delia.

"Other way inclined. Hundred percent." Trixie barely missed a beat with her answer, keeping her voice somewhat low. 

"She told you?" Mumbled Delia. Trixie rolled her eyes, looking at her intently.

"In a way, I suppose." She paused, taking a drag.

"She never shuts up about Lucille. Ever. I've caught them holding hands quite a lot, and bringing up men around her is another matter entirely. Akin to you." She nodded towards Patsy, earning a laugh from the redhead.

"Stop moving!" Delia grumbled, curling into Patsy's side.

"Must be something in the water. Clearly." She replied, a grin lighting up her face. She lifted her drink, as Trixie followed suit.

"To gross indecency!" Patsy half whispered, lifting her glass.

"Thats not funny, Pats!" Delia groaned, although smiling herself.

><><><><><><><><><

Patsy and Delia were the last to arrive downstairs that morning, fully dressed and ready to share in the Christmas joy. Delia held a decent sized bag, and her other hand was linked in Patsy's.

"Good morning girls, did you sleep well?" asked Phyllis, smiling warmly at the women.

"Deels definitely did, I'm surprised you didn't hear her." Patsy answered, earning a frown from the brunette. 

"I don't snore that loud!" She defended, fruitlessly.

"Can we do gifts now?" Valerie asked, trying and failing to keep her distance from the spritely black lab who had definitely slept and replenished his energy. He had found a friend in the oldest nun, curling in her lap but still alert and curious.

"Of course. It looks like our guests are well prepared." Sister Julienne said, warmly and with a smile.

"Reaching in the bag, Patsy pulled out a small red wrapped box and handed it to Trixie. Delia pulled out a few more boxes, slightly thinner but bigger in size. She passed them around, before pulling out one more that was round and passing it to Phyllis. They took a seat on the empty couch space beside Val and Lucille and watched intently as they all opened them in unison.

"You got me Chanel No5?!" Trixie remarked, potentially a little loudly, causing Garbo to perk his ears up and cock his head to the side in curiousity.

"Wow, Scottish fudge!" Lucille exclaimed, discarding the wrapping paper their gifts had been in.

"Come on, Phyllis! Open yours!" Valerie said, turning the attention towards Phyllis, who seemed hesistant.

"Oh, alright then!" She tore into the wrapping, producing a snowglobe only a little bigger than the palm of her hand. Inside was a figure of a building.

"That's called the Tower of Hercules. It's a lighthouse in Spain." Patsy explained, smiling softly at the older woman whose eyes were clearly filling with tears.

"We hope you get to see it for real one day. You'd be able to speak to them, at least." Delia said, the end of her sentence cut off only slightly by Phyllis taking them both in her arms. 

"Thankyou, girls. I shall treasure it." Phyllis said, holding it in her hands as if it were solid gold, returning to her seat.

><><><><><><

Christmas Day dinner at Nonnatus was the most special time of year. Everyone was invited, and everyone showed up. Violet and Fred, with Reggie in tow of course, and Shelagh and Patrick with their clan. 

Violet had greeted the women with a warm hug, remarking how lovely it was to see them. She had heard through the grapevine of their return, and brought a festive red ribbon bow for Garbo. It was now pride of place round his neck and Phyllis' camera made sure it would be remembered. 

Fred had greeted Patsy and Delia with a warm handshake, given Garbo a sneaky slice of ham, and then waltzed off to find Lucille's fresh baked mince pies. Reggie had also said hello, before becoming smitten with Garbo. Val had joked to watch when he left, to make sure there was no dog-sized lump underneath.

The Turners showed up shortly after, with Shelagh and Patrick seemingly ecstatic. Tim was awkward as always- he was here for the rich spread of food, if nothing else. 

"I say, that's not little baby Angela, is it?" Patsy exclaimed as the little, or not so little, blonde girl ran towards her. She scooped her up in her arms, ever excited to see the people she loved.

"I'm not a baby! I'm this much!" Angela squealed, holding up six fingers.

"Well, isn't that a lot, Delia?" Patsy said, turning to the brunette who nodded and smiled at the little girl in Patsy's arms.

"It sure is!" Delia replied.

Angela began wriggling, having spotted Sister Monica Joan with the Christmas crackers. Patsy let her down gently, and watched as she grabbed May's hand, leading her in search of sugary treats and paper hats.

"Another one, Shelagh?" Delia asked softly, still watching the little girls, as well as their smaller brother, on their quest for the crackers.

"That's May. We adopted her last year, she's completed our little family so well." Shelagh said, with as big a grin as was possible, watching her children with so much pride. Delia reached gently for Patsy's hand, feeling a light squeeze. 

"Dinner is ready!" Came the call from the dining room.

><><><><><><><

The evening was drawing to a close and the room was full of contentment. Sister Monica Joan was asleep in one of the armchairs, much to everyones amusement. Not to be without her furry friend, Garbo was curled in her lap, fast asleep himself.

Patsy and Delia sat at one end of the sofa, the latter snuggled into the former. Valerie sat with Lucille, Lucille's head resting on Val's shoulder. The room was the picture of peace, as they watched the Christmas specials. Patsy's mind wandered and she thought long and hard about, well, everything. Her heart ached to think of leaving Nonnatus in a few days time. She looked down at Delia, realising she wasn't one for conversation right in the moment. For now, everyone was here. Everything felt right.


End file.
